Combination motor-vehicle.



H. T. LYALL.

COMBINATION MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25. 1914.

m w 92 7 M al 1 W5 MM 1- 2 2w H 0 m & N? R +7 6 M m? a m V 3 O aw 9 W Ndad 1 THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH $0.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

H. T. LYALL.

CQMJBINATION MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED 001.26. 1914.

1, 179,014; I V Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

HonAc-u THOMAS LYALL, 0F NoRwIcH, ENGLAND.

COMBINATION MOTOR-VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

Application filed October 26, 1914. Serial No. 868,633.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, Home]: THOMAS LYALL, a subject of His Majesty theKing of England, residing at Norwich, in the county of Norfolk, Kingdomof England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCombination Motor-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved mechanical power driven combinationvehicle, the design and nature of the construction of-which, by slightadaptation or alteration, enable it to be converted into amotorcatamaran or boat, a motor sleigh and a motor-car, and make itapplicable for traveling on water, snow, ice, sand and roads for thepurpose of carrying passengers and merchandise, and for use for sport,pleasure, andwarfare.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide a combination vehiclepropelled by means ;of a forwardly placed turbine-like motor-drivenpropeller, and fitted with wheels to enable it to be used as a motorcar,with runners. so that it can be used as a motor-sleigh, and withinflatable bags to enable it to be used as amotor-boat.

In carrying out my present invention I provide rigid floats, preferablytwo, made of steel or any other suitable metal or material and heldapart and parallel in relation to one another by means of suitable stayrods, and upon these floats I place a boat-shaped body carried on asuperstructure fixed, on runners rem'ovably secured on said floats. Inthis body I place a power plant, preferably a light petrol engine suchas is used in cycle cars, the power from which I employ for dr1v1ng oneor more air propellers or tractor screws similar in construction tothose used on aleroplanesand situated at the forward portion, the sidesor the stern of the body, the revolving of which propeller orpropellers, tractor screw or screws would impel the combination vehiclethrough water, on roads, sand,,ioe or snow as the case may be.

When the vehicle is used on water the steering would be effected by asuitable steering wheel or the like connected up with oneor more ruddersmounted on the floats.

It is obvious that a power driven vessel or vehicle of the abovedescribed character would be very speedy and suitable for use motorcars.

on shallow waters and on rivers, lakes, estuaries and moderately calmseas. The combination vehicle could also be equipped with and adapted toreceive a machine gun or guns to convert it into an instrument ofwarfare especially suitable for river and estuary defense Work.

The vehicle may be of any size as desired if it is intended for waterpurposes only, that is to say as a motor catamaran or boat. When thevehicle is adaptable for traveling on water, ice, snow and land as abovementloned', by the simple process of removing a the floats from thevehicle, or the body, superstructure and runners from the floats, thesaid runners, superstructure andbody will form a component part initself, that is to say a motor sleigh adapted to travel on ice and snow,the steering of which vehicle can be effected by pivotal shoes orrunners attached to the main runners or to the superstructure, or by aseparate removable centralsteering arm or fork, attached to the bottomof the body or wherenecessary, fitted with asteering shoe or runner andoperated by the steering wheel or by other means. If desired thesuperstructure can be made intwo sections, the rear portion fixed andthe front portion pivotal or vice versa; themethod of steering in thiscase would be similar to that employed on the wheels. Steering in thiscase can be effected by means of a separate removable central steeringarm or fork attached to the bottom of the body, or where required, towhich arm or fork is attached one steering wheel or two wheels placedcl'osetogether as may be required; or the steering may again be-s'imilarto that employed on motor CHIS.

In orderthat my invention may be fully understood I will now proceed todescribe a rear end elevation of same. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of thevehicle as converted for traveling on sand and roads. Fig. 5 is a rearend elevation of the body showing on the left hand side the methodproposed for converting the vehicle for traveling on sand and roads, acentral steering arm or fork and one of a pair of steering wheels fittedthereto. The right hand side of the figure shows the method proposed foradapting the vehicle for traveling on ice and snow by taking away thewheels and allowing the base of the su aerstructure that is to sa therunners to rest on the snow or ice; showing also a central steering armor fork and a method of steering by a shoe or runner. Fig. 6 is a sideelevation of the steering shoe or runner.

Like letters of-reference indicate corresponding' parts throughout theseveral figures of the drawings.

As shown, I provide two floats a made of steel or any other suitablemetal or material, preferably divided into water-tight compartments, andmaintained apart and parallel to one another by stay rods a. I fitsteering rudders a at the stern end of the floats, or elsewhere as maybe required. Upon the floats I place a superstructure .7) preferablymade of steel-or any other strong metal and of such a design as may berequired, and to this superstructure I attach either directly orindirectly a body 0 of such .a design as may-be suitable and required bythe construction of the superstructure, and free from all unnecessaryprotuberances, z. 6. having a clean stream line formation. The wholesuperstructure with the body I securely and removably fasten by suitablenuts and bolts 6 to the floats a, and to the superstructure I securelyattach small plates or steps b so as to facilitate entrance to and exitfrom the body. The body shown in the accompanying drawings is designedfor carrying two persons. Under the bonnet or hood 0 is placed'either awater or an air cooled petrol engine to which is attached eitherdirectly or indirectly the propeller or tractor screw 0 the rotation ofwhich, as will be noticed in the drawings, is well within the extremewidth of the vehicle when adapted for use as a motor catamaran or boatwith the floats a, and within the extreme width of the vehicle when usedwith runners 6 The exhaust from the engine escapes at the extreme sternat 0 I provide petrol and lubricating oil caps (Z leading to suitabletanks,

' electric or other illuminatin ower side and stern lights (5, and underthe seat (l suitable lockers for tools and other articles. As shown inFigs. 1 and 2 the steering is effected by means of a hand wheel 6slightly raked, to the base of the post of which wheel are attachedunder the floor wires for operating the rudders a or the steering runneror wheels hereinafter described.

If desirable a wind screen (Z can be fixed as shown. The engine isstarted by a starting handle 6 or by other means, the control of whichwill be preferably from the steering wheel 6, and at the sides of thewheel 6 I provide a suitable reversing gear handle and a clutch handle.To the floats a suitable cleats 0 can be attached for moor- It ingpurposes.

With reference to the floats ait will be preferable that they areconsiderably longer than the superstructure b and the body 0, the reasonfor which. is that flotation will be increased, and the resistance fromwater will be considerably reduced owing to the fact that the propeller0 will, according to the speed at which it is rotating, have a tendencyto cause the forward portions of the floats to rise from the water.

In converting the power driven catamaran or boat above describedinto amotor sleigh for traveling on ice and snow I simply remove'the floats afrom the superstructure b and body' 0 and allow the runners Z9 to restupon the snow or ice. The steering is preferably effected by attachingto the underside. of the body 0 a central separate removable steeringarm or fork f, Fig. 6, fitted with a suitable spring f which springwill, to a degree, obviate shocks from uneven surfaces. At the base ofthe arm f I attach, by means of a bolt or pivot 7, a steering shoe orrunner f at the forward or front end of which I attach a tension spring7, lateral movement of the whole being eflected by means of wire cablesFor other means .connected with the post of the steering wheel e. V

For converting the vehicle into a motor car for travelingon sand androads I provide suitable wheels 9 and springs g and attach them to therunners 'to raise the superstructure b so that the latter and the body aare supported by the wheels g. Steering in this case can be eflected bymeans of the removable arm f, from which the shoe 7' would be removedand one or two wheels attached thereto, the lateral movement of whichwheel or wheels would be precisely as before described with reference tothe shoe.

' hat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is l. The combination, in a motor boat, of anelevated, passenger-carrying body; a superstructure whereon said body ismounted; a pair of floats attached to the foot of said superstructure inspaced, parallel relation; an engine or motor disposed within said body;a screw propeller disposed exterior to said body at the front thereofand connected to said engine; rudders connected to the rear ends of saidfloats; and steering mechanism disposed within said body and connectedto operate said rudders.

2. The combination, in a motor boat, of an elevated passenger-carryingbody; a superstructure whereon said body is mounted; a pair oflongitudinal floats arranged in spaced, parallel relation and having thefoot of said superstructure aflixed thereto an engine or motor disposedwithin said body; a screw propeller disposed exterior to said body atthe front thereof and connected to said engine, said propeller having adiameter which is less than the extreme width of the floats, and saidfloats having their forward portions projecting beyond said propeller;steering means disposed at the rear end of said floats; and steeringmechanism disposed Within said body and connected to said rudders.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

HORACE THOMAS LYALL.

Witnesses:

J 0s. CUTHERs, FRANK BLANEY.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingtheGommissio'ner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

